1 Peter 5:8-9 (NKJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
James 1:16-17 (NKJV) Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
These verses differentiated for us between the work of the devil and the goodness of God. While the devil is on the prowl to devour us by stealing, killing and destroying. We read in these passages, Jesus who is the exact image of the Father and only does what He sees the father does and say. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. Jesus was setting people free from the oppression of the devil. He was helping those who were going through tribulation to be free from the works of the evil one. Every good and perfect gift is from above. Nothing bad or evil is from God. We are able to clearly differentiate the work of God. This will help us to keep the peace, joy and love in our relationship with God without stumbling!
Jesus revealed to us that we need to allow the word to take root in order to survive the tribulation and persecution.
Psalms 34:17,19 (NKJV) The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
The character of God does not change and His eyes are on the righteous! We have the righteousness of Christ imputed on us and we are hidden in Christ. We are in a better position as compared to the Old Testament saints. God will deliver us out of all our troubles and afflictions though some might take a slightly longer time than we hope it will take. God did not forsake us in the midst of the tribulation and persecution. In fact, He is more involved than we think He is! In fact, Jesus is praying for us in the midst of our trial, tribulation and persecution.
Hebrews 7:25 (NKJV) Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Jesus is currently making intercession for each of us after He has offered up the ultimate sacrifice of His blood in the heavenly tabernacle.
John 17:20 (NKJV) “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.”
You need to know that Jesus is praying for you as long as you are a child of God. You have Jesus praying for you in heaven. He is praying in and through you on earth.
Romans 8:26-28 (NKJV) Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
We are at the weakest moment of our lives when we are facing trial, tribulation and persecution. That is the time when we will have the tendency to stumble or be offended. However, we have been told that when we are in the weakest moment of our lives that’s when the Holy Spirit will make intercession for us! The wonderful thing is He prays for the will of God in heaven to be done for us!
Hebrews 11:6-7 (NKJV) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to Faith.
We have come to know about the Kingdom of God because we are born again. We live and operate in God’s Kingdom by faith in God. We are convinced that we are saved by grace and there is an eternity that waits for us. When we are saved, we and our household can be saved. It may sound silly to the people around us, people might persecute or ridicule us as of Noah’s day but we are convinced that the judgment day will come. The Kingdom of this earth will fully be the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ when the devil is judged and thrown into the lake of fire. Our deep-rooted faith in God will help us to stand strong in the midst of tribulation and persecution!
Sermon series: There is power in the seed
耶稣正在为你代求
彼得前书 5:8-9 务要谨守丶儆醒。因为你们的仇敌魔鬼，如同吼叫的狮子，遍地游行，寻找可吞吃的人。你们要用坚固的信心抵挡它，因为知道你们在世上的众弟兄也是经历这样的苦难。
雅各书 1:16-17 我亲爱的弟兄们，不要看错了。各样美善的恩赐和各样全备的赏赐都是从上头来的，从众光之父那里降下来的；在祂并没有改变，也没有转动的影儿。
这些经文为我们把魔鬼的工作与上帝的美善区分开来。魔鬼遍地游行，是要来偷窃丶杀害和毁坏，以吞吃我们。我们读到的经文说：耶稣全然有上帝的形象，上帝做什么，祂就做什么；上帝说什么，祂就说什么。祂周游四方行善事，医治一切被鬼压的。耶稣把受魔鬼压制的人们释放出来。祂帮助遭遇患难的人，释放他们脱离那恶者的作为。一切美善的赏赐都是从上头来的。在上帝那里既没有败坏也没有邪恶。我们能够清楚地分辨出上帝的作为。这有助于我们与上帝保持和平丶喜乐和爱的关系，不致跌倒！
耶稣启示我们要让上帝的话语在心中扎根，胜过患难与逼迫。
诗篇 34:17,19 义人呼求，耶和华听见了，便救他们脱离一切患难。义人多有苦难，但耶和华救他脱离这一切。
上帝的品格永不改变，并且祂的眼目看顾义人！我们因信基督而称义，我们被隐藏在基督里面。比起旧约时代的圣者们，我们的处境好多了。上帝会释放我们脱离一切的患难与痛苦，只是有的人可能需要经历比自己所期望的更久的等候时间。上帝没有放弃我们于患难与逼迫中不顾，事实上，祂所投入的比我们想象的更多！其实就在这试炼丶患难与逼迫之时，耶稣正在为我们祷告代求。
希伯来书 7:25 凡靠着祂进到神面前的人，祂都能拯救到底；因为祂是长远活着，替他们祈求。
耶稣用祂的宝血在天上的会幕完成了终极的献祭，现在祂正在为我们每一个人代祷。
约翰福音 17:20 我不但为这些人祈求，也为那些因他们的话信我的人祈求。
你需要知道的是：只要你是上帝的孩子，耶稣就会为你祷告。在天上，你有耶稣为你祷告，在地上，祂在你里面祷告，也藉着你祷告。
罗马书 8:26-28 况且我们的软弱有圣灵帮助，我们本不晓得当怎样祷告，只是圣灵亲自用说不出来的叹息替我们祷告。鉴察人心的，晓得圣灵的意思，因为圣灵照着神的旨意替圣徒祈求。我们晓得万事都互相效力，叫爱神的人得益处，就是按祂旨意被召的人。
当面对试炼丶患难和逼迫，我们就处在生命中最软弱的关头。那是我们可能跌倒或受冒犯的时刻。然而圣经告诉我们，我们生命中最软弱的时刻，就是圣灵为我们代祷的时刻！最棒的是：圣灵祈求上帝为我们成就祂属天的旨意！
希伯来书 11:6-7 人非有信，就不能得神的喜悦；因为到神面前来的人必须信有神，且信祂赏赐那寻求祂的人。挪亚因着信，既蒙神指示祂未见的事，存敬畏的心预备了一只方舟，使他全家得救。因此就定了那世代的罪，自己也承受了那从信而来的义。
因着重生，我们已经认识了神的国度。我们靠着对上帝的信心在神国中生活和工作。我们坚信我们被恩典救赎，有永生为我们预备。当我们得救，我们和全家就都能获救。对于我们周围的人来说这或许听起来很愚蠢，人们可能会像挪亚时代的人那样逼迫或讥笑我们，但是我们坚信审判的日子将会到来。当魔鬼被审判并丢进火湖，这地上的国度将会完全成为我们主耶稣基督的国度。我们对上帝那根深蒂固的信心，将会帮助我们在遭受患难和逼迫的日子站立得稳！
讲章系列：种子大有能力
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